


one of us is in the wrong place.

by Idnis



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Also Sadness, Also fluff, Light Angst, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, andrew has graduated, public kisses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-11
Updated: 2017-11-11
Packaged: 2019-01-31 21:24:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12690492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Idnis/pseuds/Idnis
Summary: Neil tried not to miss Andrewbut he always did.Given prompt: "Neil and Andrew becoming public".





	one of us is in the wrong place.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FreakingOutGirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreakingOutGirl/gifts).



> Hello lovely people!
> 
> FreakingOutGirl gave me the prompt " About becoming public or Andrew/Neil defending the other in a public setting. Or the Foxes catching them in their sweet moments together."  
> and well, this happened ! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy  
> and that it was sorta what you wanted :)

Neil snuggled closer to Andrew,  
though he was sure if Andrew knew he’d called it snuggling in his mind, he would immediately push him out of bed.  
  
Lightly pressing his nose against the skin between Andrew’s shoulder blades,  
Neil was definitely not taking in Andrew’s smell.  
  
‘Are you smelling me?’ Andrew asked.  
  
Busted.  
  
‘No,’ Neil lied. ‘I just had to breathe.’

Andrew didn’t turn around or walk away,  
instead letting Neil cling to his back like an overgrown backpack.  
  
‘You’ll be gone so soon,’ Neil murmured, silently admitting that maybe he had been trying to memorize Andrew’s scent, and the feeling of Andrew’s heartbeat underneath his hand.  
  
Though touching Andrew’s stomach and chest still made him tense, sometimes even freeze up,  
Neil always got permission to put his palm flat against Andrew’s skin,  
right where his heart was.  
  
‘ _Just feeling if it’s there_ ,’ Neil had joked once.  
  
‘ _I_ _t is with you_ ,’ Andrew had replied blankly,  
causing Neil’s own heart  
to stutter in its beat.  
  
Andrew turned around,  
jolting Neil back into the here and now.  
  
Andrew would be gone this evening.  
  
What was Neil doing? He shouldn’t let his mind drift, he should focus on the here,  
the now,  
on Andrew.  
  
Andrew placed his hand on Neil’s heart too. ‘I’m not gone.’

 _Ba_ _dum_  
did Neil’s heart,  
beating loudly against his chest  
as if it wanted to escape his skin and find its way into Andrew’s hand.  
  
Weird thought.  
  
Neil looked at Andrew. ‘You’re not,’ he admitted. ‘But you are.’  
  
Anyone other than Andrew would’ve called him out on his nonsensical answer.  
  
Instead, Andrew said, ‘You'd better not run, or I won't find my way back.’   
  
His eyes stared into Neil’s,  
trapping him with his gaze,  
though Neil had already been trapped by Andrew’s hand on his heart,  
and Andrew’s legs intertwined with his beneath the blankets.  
  
‘I won’t run,’ Neil promised,  
closing the distance between them slowly,  
like they had all the time in the world.  
  
If all the time in the world was one sleepy morning together in bed.  
  
Andrew kissed him back. ‘Don’t let Kevin hear you.’  
  
➓  
  
‘Don’t forget to text us!’ Nicky said to Andrew.  
  
‘Like he will,’ Aaron commented under his breath.  
  
Neil had a hard time figuring out if it was annoyance or indifference.  
  
‘I know who he _does_ text,’ Nicky said, glancing at Neil with a grin on his face.  
  
Neil shrugged.  
No denying that.  
  
‘Good luck with training,’ were Kevin's parting words.

Andrew gave him a look,  
before his eyes flickered to Neil again.  
  
They’d already said goodbye a dozen times  
last night  
this morning in bed  
and before they met up with the others, Andrew pushing Neil against the apartment door.  
  
It didn’t make this moment any better.  
  
‘Bye,’ Neil said.  
  
Andrew nodded at him,  
not quite getting the word out.

➒  
  
[Neil]  
I don’t like this.

[andrew]  
you have to be more specific  
  
[Neil]  
Waking up alone.  
  
Neil stared at his phone,  
an object he didn’t hate anymore,  
because how could he hate something that gave him pieces of Andrew?  
  
He needed to get up, and head to the stadium.  
  
He didn’t want to.  
  
It was always a little like a hangover,  
the morning after Andrew had left.  
  
After a few minutes of staring at his phone, Neil finally put it away. 

Andrew’s reply took exceptionally long,  
which was unusual  
and strange.  
  
Eventually, Neil forced his reluctant body out of bed and into fresh clothes.  
  
He’d just locked the door behind him when his phone buzzed.

He didn’t startle from it anymore,  
but Andrew’s message had him nearly dropping it.  
  
[andrew]  
enjoy it while you can

To any other person it was a threat.  
To Neil,  
it was a promise.  
  
➑

Missing Andrew was worse during the little moments.

It wasn’t while Neil was playing Exy,  
with Kevin goading him to run _faster_ , swing harder, push himself to his ultimate limit.  
  
It wasn’t while Neil was making his way to campus,  
nor when he was sitting in the classroom, trying his best to memorize every verb tense.  
  
It was when he was dozing off in front of his laptop,  
trying his best to keep his eyes open.  
It was when he took a shower late at night, because he couldn’t sleep.  
It was when he couldn’t stand the idea of being alone.  
  
He had picked up his phone and was dialling Andrew’s number before he was fully conscious of his decision.  
  
‘Neil,’ Andrew said.  
  
The part of Neil that had felt tiny,  
and choked off,  
could breathe a little easier.  
  
‘Andrew,’ he said. ‘What are you doing?’  
  
‘I was going to bed.’

Neil turned to look out of his window,  
his eyes trying not to focus too long on Andrew’s empty bed in the room.  
  
It was dark outside.

There was a slight time difference between Andrew and Neil.  
Three hours give or take.  
  
‘Sorry,’ Neil said. ‘It’s later with you.’  
  
‘I know,’ Andrew said.  
  
It sounded like that irritated Andrew too.  
  
Neil turned to lie down on his bed. ‘I’ll let you sleep,’ he murmured.  
  
He didn’t want to hang up.  
He  
did  
not  
want to hang up.  
  
‘Okay,’ Andrew said.  
  
Neil didn’t know what he should say in return, so he said nothing  
and closed his eyes,  
listening to Andrew breathing.  
  
With his eyes closed, he could pretend Andrew was actually in the room with him.  
  
It was nice.  
  
When Neil opened his eyes again,  
it was a whole lot lighter in the room.  
  
His hand spasmed, and he saw, and felt, that he was still holding the phone.  
The little screen said he’d been calling Andrew for 7 hours and counting.  
  
‘Fuck,’ Neil said, thinking about his phone bill.  
  
There was a short intake of breath,  
and then, ‘Good morning to you too.’  
  
Neil immediately clutched the phone to his ear. ‘Good morning.’  
  
Andrew groaned, probably figuring out they’d fallen asleep while calling, again,  
and Neil could hear the slight creaking of a bed as Andrew no doubt sat up, or maybe even left his bed.  
  
‘Good luck today,’ Neil said.

‘You too,’ Andrew replied, and his slightly sleepy voice twisted Neil’s insides painfully. 

‘I miss you,’ he said quickly, before Andrew could hang up.  
  
There was a pause,  
in which Neil gave himself a fifty-fifty chance of-  
  
‘I miss you too.’  
  
Neil smiled. ‘Must be, if you can talk to me for seven hours.’  
  
‘We didn’t talk.’  
  
‘You say that, but I think Nicky will think differently when I show him our call history.’  
  
Andrew scoffed.  
  
Neil knew he would’ve normally given him a look,  
which would’ve told Neil everything,  
but Andrew was adjusting  
because they were calling, and they couldn’t see each other.  
  
‘I won’t show him,’ Neil said quietly.  
  
‘I know.’  
  
‘It’s not fun to tease you when you’re not here.’

Andrew hummed low, and now Neil could definitely hear the sound of shoes hitting the floor and a coffee machine being pressed on.  
  
‘I need to go,’ he lied, because he knew Andrew didn’t like hanging up on him. Didn’t like saying goodbye to him. ‘Should I tell Kevin you said hi?’

‘No,’ Andrew replied. ‘But you can say hi to Bee for me.’

Neil grimaced. ‘Funny.’  
  
‘I thought so.’

‘Bye Andrew,’ Neil said, perhaps a little quieter than he wanted to, and hung up.

He finally found the strength to get up and out of bed.

➐

‘It’s beginning!’ Kevin yelled way louder than was necessary. Neil  _was_ wearing headphones, yes, but they weren't as fancy as Kevin's. They didn't completely block out the world. Neil suspected Kevin just liked to shout at him sometimes.  
  
Throwing them off,  
fuck the essay that was due tomorrow,  
Neil sprinted towards the beanbags and dropped himself in one, his eyes immediately glued to the T.V.

A hype-y song was just starting as an announcer excitedly read the game’s line up.  
It thrilled Neil to hear him say "Andrew Minyard",  
then watch Andrew step on the court in his gear.  
  
A huge smile was plastered on Neil’s face,  
and even though this wasn’t the first time he watched one of Andrew’s games,  
he still pushed Kevin’s shoulder.  
  
‘He’s starting line up again,’ he said proudly.  
  
‘Yeah,’ Kevin agreed.  
  
It was a good game,  
tense at times, but it was clear Andrew’s team was winning.  
  
After all, Andrew was an amazing goalkeeper.  
  
Someone took a shot at the goal, but Andrew deflected it with a quick step to the right, causing the crowd,  
and Neil and Kevin,  
to cheer loudly.  
  
The striker shouted something at Andrew however.  
  
‘What’s he saying?’ Neil asked, leaning closer like that would make him understand the guy better.  
  
The camera zoomed in on Andrew and the striker, but because of Andrew’s goalkeeper’s mask, it was hard to make out Andrew’s expression.  
It was also impossible to hear what the striker was shouting.  
  
‘I hope he controls himself,’ Kevin muttered.  
  
‘Depends what the striker’s saying.'  
  
A referee got close and said something to the striker, probably not to hold up the game,  
and then the game continued rather peacefully.  
For Exy.

Until Andrew got the ball near his goal again.  
  
With a mighty swing,  
Andrew threw the ball across the court.  
  
It zoomed past his own teammates, and hit the aggressive striker  
right  
between his shoulders.  
  
Kevin gasped in shock.  
  
‘If that had been any higher,’ Neil said slowly, ‘It would’ve hit his neck.’  
  
Kevin didn’t express how lucky it was that Andrew had missed.  
They both knew Andrew hadn’t.  
  
It was a warning shot,  
and payback.  
  
Neil’s phone buzzed.  
  
[Nicky]  
wanna bet that guy said sth about u??? ;)  
  
He’d reply later.  
Right now, Andrew was playing, and Neil wanted to watch him play.  
  
Some part of him was always impressed with the casual strength Andrew displayed, holding up the large racquet for almost the entire game.  
  
‘Why’s he doing that?’ he asked absent-mindedly. ‘He can put the racquet down when they’re not on his half.’  
  
‘Training,’ Kevin replied.  
  
‘What?’

From the corner of his eye, Neil saw Kevin shrug. ‘I told him most professional goalkeepers can lift their racquets the entire time they’re on the court.’

‘That’s not even true,’ Neil said in surprise. ‘And the ones that can, don’t.’  
  
On screen, the game was nearing its end,  
the players slowing down a little.  
  
Neil tried to see if Andrew’s arms were shaking,  
but the camera was too far away.  
  
‘I said I would train you harder, so Andrew’d better keep up,’ Kevin admitted.  
  
Neil tore his gaze from the screen and stared at Kevin with a mix of irritation and surprise. ‘You used me against him?’  
  
Kevin also looked at him. ‘I can’t  _use_ Andrew.’  
  
Fair enough.  
Still.  
  
‘Is there anything you won’t do for Exy?’ Neil grumbled, turning his attention back to the screen.

‘No. You?’ 

Again,  
fair enough.  
  
Andrew’s team won.

They all congratulated each other, throwing their racquets into the air,  
and for a moment, Neil wanted to stand on a court too,  
to feel the rush and excitement of having given it everything he got, and getting to bask in the win.  
  
But then Andrew ripped his goalkeeper mask of his face,  
and Neil wasn’t thinking about Exy anymore.  
  
A few strands of hair were plastered to his forehead,  
and his cheeks were slightly red from the exertion.  
  
Neil’s need was intense.  
  
He grabbed his phone immediately.  
  
[Neil]  
I want to kiss you. Badly.  
  
He knew Andrew would see it as soon as he got back to the locker room.  
Andrew never stayed for interviews.  
  
[Neil]  
Congratulations on winning. Kevin and I watched.  
  
His heart ached while typing out the words.  
He wanted to be there  
to say them in person.

➏  
  
[Nicky]  
HEY Neil how u holding up?  
  
[Neil]  
I’m okay.

He’d almost replied with fine, but knew what kind of response that would trigger.  
  
[Nicky]  
Long distance is tough right? want to call?

Neil debated saying no, looking at his school work, which he always put off until the last possible moment.  
  
But why not?

‘Hey Neil!’ Nicky sounded very, very happy.  
  
‘How did you manage?’ Neil asked immediately, always a little uncomfortable with small talk.  
  
‘With Erik? Badly some days, yeah. But I guess it’s about what you think is important, and not letting other things get in the way of that. I’d say communication is one of those things, but then again, I know how much Andrew talks.’  
  
‘He talks,’ Neil said.  
  
‘Oh, and I really loved Skype.’  
  
‘Skype's difficult. We tried, but internet’s usually shit and Andrew has roommates.’  
  
‘You’re telling me he can’t make them go away?’   
  
Nicky sounded surprised.  
Well.

‘It’s the reason I don’t ask,’ Neil said.  
  
Nicky laughed a little nervously,  
probably thinking, like Neil, that Andrew would take the "go away"  
a bit permanently, if they gave him shit.

‘Why not send selfies?’  
  
‘Self-i?’

This time, Nicky’s laugh was more genuine. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve never send him one.’  
  
‘Um. You forget what type of phone I have.’

‘Wait wait wait,’ Nicky said. ‘You still haven’t upgraded to a smartphone?’  
  
‘No.’  
  
‘Why not?’

‘Andrew hasn’t either.’  
  
‘Yeah fuck that,’ Nicky said. ‘I’m sure you can convince him to get a smartphone pretty fast by sending him selfies.’  
  
‘Nicky. I don’t know what selfies are.’  
  
‘Pictures of yourself, made by yourself.’

‘Oh.’ Neil thought about it. ‘Why?’

‘Umm, wouldn’t you want a picture of Andrew every once in awhile?’

 _Oh._  
Neil got it.

Nicky sounded like he was shaking his head. ‘Andrew has been gone before. I swear, how have you managed?’  
  
‘We text. Or call.’

‘Well, get yourself a smartphone and share your gorgeous face with your boy. Get Kevin to pick one out for you, just in case.’

‘I know what those phones look like,’ Neil protested, to which Nicky merely laughed.  
  
‘Good luck, Neil.’  
  
‘Thanks Nicky,’ Neil said, and meant it.  
  
➎

It wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have with Kevin,  
but after four tries,  
Neil was ready to chuck his new smartphone out of the window.  
  
It was during dinner that he decided to take Kevin down with him.  
  
Neil was eating his fish angrily,  
and Kevin was doing his best to ignore him,  
when Neil said to hell with awkwardness.  
  
‘Do _you_ take selfies?’ he snapped at Kevin, who startled a little in his seat.  
  
‘Sometimes,’ Kevin admitted.  
  
‘Why?’  
  
Kevin actually blushed a tiny bit. ‘For Thea.’  
  
‘How? What? When?’ Neil threw the questions at him with a ferocity he would normally slam an Exy ball.  
  
‘Just when she wants one. Or when I want one back. I take one of my face, sometimes my body when I’ve improved.’

Unexpected. Neil raised his eyebrows. ‘Does she get off on it?’  
  
Kevin glared at him. ‘No, she’s proud, or she motivates me to train harder.’  
  
Neil thought Nicky would be proud of him for asking the question,  
then decided to quit egging Kevin on.

‘I want to send a selfie,’ he said. ‘But I don’t know how.’  
  
‘Just make a picture of your face.’  
  
‘It looks stupid.’  
  
‘Yeah, but you can’t help that,’ Kevin stated, oblivious to Neil’s glare. ‘Andrew sticks around anyway.’  
  
Exactly what Neil had told himself.  
Fine.  
  
After dinner, Neil stood in his room, and held up his phone in front of his face.   
  
He took a photo, and without looking at the result,  
sent it to Andrew.  
  
There.  
Did it.  
  
Who was a millennial now?  
  
After working with Kevin on a few game strategies, which involved a lot of discussing,  
Neil was exhausted,  
his eyes burning and stinging like he’d been staring at tiny words and pictures for hours.

Oh, he had.  
  
Taking out his phone to send Andrew a goodnight text, Neil was surprised to find his phone didn’t work.  
  
Had he forgotten to charge it?  
Oh, right.  
It was his old phone.  
  
In his passive-aggressive state, he’d left his smartphone on the windowsill.  
  
That one had two messages.  
  
[andrew]  
i’ll get one too.  
  
[andrew]  
thanks for reminding me  
  
Neil couldn’t help but grin.

[Neil]  
Remind you?  
  
[andrew]  
how much i hate

The message was cut off,  
and Neil wondered where the ‘ _you_ ’ was.  
  
[andrew]  
this

"This" could mean a lot of things,  
Neil thought.

But he knew which one Andrew meant.  
  
➍

Neil woke up with a picture of Andrew.  
  
His stomach felt like a boiling kettle,  
all bubbly  
without the uncomfortable burning.  
Though when he tapped on the photo,  
_hot_  
was definitely a word on his mind.  
  
Andrew was smoking near the window,  
early in the morning judging by the sun’s position.  
He wasn’t looking at the camera.  
  
Neil giggled in his blanket  
and texted back

[Neil]  
Was it hard to take a picture without looking?

[andrew]  
i’m never doing something for you again

[Neil]  
I thought I was the liar

[andrew]  
give me a picture

[Neil]  
I’m still in bed.

[andrew]  
waiting

Neil wondered if Andrew would motivate him to train harder if he took a picture with his abs showing.

But  
so  
maybe he pulled the blanket down a little,  
before he took a picture of himself.  
  
Again, without looking at it, he sent it.  
  
Andrew didn’t immediately reply.

[Neil]  
Did I remind you again?

[andrew]  
even more now

Neil’s heart warmed  
and ached  
at the same time.  
  
➌

Neil startled awake by his pillow buzzing.  
  
What?

His hand grabbed underneath it, bypassing the keys and  
oh.  
His phone.  
  
[andrew]  
i feel so fucking empty

Neil’s heart clenched in pain,  
and with blurry eyes, he quickly texted back.  
  
[Neil]  
Want to call me?

[andrew]  
i think i’ll jump off a building if i hear your voice

Sadness  
heavy and dragging,  
pulled at Neil as he read Andrew’s text.  
  
There was so little he could do,  
being so far away.  
  
[Neil]  
Don’t. I’ll be standing at the bottom.  
  
[andrew]  
i’ll crush you

[Neil]  
I’ve been training. I can hold your weight.  
  
There was no reply for a while,  
and Neil hoped he’d at least made Andrew  
feel  
something.  
  
But as Andrew replied

[andrew]  
to do that you have to be here first

Neil wasn’t sure what Andrew was feeling right now  
was any better.  
  
Frustrated  
at the distance,  
at his own inability to help Andrew,   
he hrew his pillow against the wall.  
  
Of course it didn’t wake Kevin up  
with his super fancy ear plugs.  
  
Okay, Neil admitted those ear plugs also gave him the opportunity to call Andrew in the middle of the night.  
  
But Andrew didn’t want to call,  
because it wouldn’t help.

Neil looked in frustration at his phone.  
In some ways it was an upgrade  
and in others so much worse.  
  
➋

‘You can’t,’ Kevin said,  
because he was Kevin.

‘Watch me,’ Neil said,  
clutching his bag tighter.  
  
‘What about-’

‘I swear, Kevin, if you say training, I’ll punch you.’

Kevin shut his mouth with a petulant look on his face.  
  
‘Now drive me to the airport.’

‘I should’ve let you run,’ Kevin grumbled as he started the car.  
  
But they drove to the airport,  
and Neil got through security, of course he did, and got on a plane to Andrew.  
  
On his way to Andrew’s apartment, Neil’s heart was beating fast in his chest.  
The thought of seeing Andrew again,  
to feel him again,  
was so  
just so

Neil paid the cab and entered the apartment complex,  
adrenaline and anticipation coursing through his veins.  
  
And then he was in front of Andrew’s apartment,  
hand raised to knock.  
  
His phone buzzed in his pocket,  
but he ignored it for now in favour of knocking.  
  
Andrew’s roommate Justin opened the door.  
  
‘Yeah?’ he said, then took another look at Neil. ‘Wait, aren’t you Andrew’s boyfriend?’  
  
Neil nodded.  
  
Justin’s eyes widened. ‘What are you doing here?’

The fuck was his deal.  
  
‘Should I give you details?’ Neil shot back, but Justin shook his head like he couldn’t believe Neil was actually _here_.  
  
‘Oh no,’ Justin said. ‘Oh no. That’s awful. Oh no.’  
  
Neil’s mind jumped to the worst possible conclusion,  
fear immediately driving out his anticipation.

‘What?’ he asked almost frantically. ‘What’s awful?’  
  
‘Andrew’s not here,’ Justin said, and Neil thought he couldn’t breathe, ‘He’s visiting _you_.’  
  
‘ _What?_ ’  
  
Neil blinked, not sure he understood right.  
  
‘Yeah, he wanted to see you, so he got a plane this morning. To you.’  
  
It felt like Neil’s entire world was shifting,  
moving around him at a dizzying speed.  
  
With hands that felt entirely too numb,  
Neil pulled his phone from his pocket and looked at the messages.

[andrew]  
where are you

[andrew]  
no

The frustration  
was so intense  
that Neil felt his eyes burn with the intense desire to break down,  
to start crying right here  
in front of fucking Justin.

He didn’t know what he should text back.  
What  
_what_ _  
_ could make it better?  
  
[Neil]  
I’m sorry

Andrew didn’t reply.

And Neil cried in front of Justin.  
  
➊

Neil tried not to miss Andrew  
but he always did.

It had been three months.  
  
He’d read somewhere that missing always came in waves,  
but if that was the case

‘Come on, Neil,’ Kevin said, nudging him. ‘Get your gear on.’  
  
then he was definitely drowning.  
  
Neil stared at his bare legs.  
  
Socks.  
  
He slowly pulled them on.

'Sometime today,' Kevin sighed. 'You have a plane to catch.’  
  
Neil’s head snapped up. ‘What?’  
  
But Kevin didn’t meet his eyes. 'After training,’ he said.  
  
‘But,’ Neil said, ‘Where to?’

Kevin rolled his eyes at him, the jerk.   
  
‘To Andrew, who else?’  
  
‘But he’s playing tonight,’ Neil said, still confused. ‘He can’t-’  
  
‘I thought you wanted to see him play.’

What?  
It was like Kevin had given him a life vest,  
a way to keep him from drowning.

Neil quickly finished changing. ‘I’ll pay you back,’ he promised.

‘Yeah by training double time when you get back,’ Kevin said, walking onto the court.  
  
Neil’s steps felt lighter as he trained,  
walked across the airport,  
and over the court’s stands towards his seat.

So he could watch Andrew’s game.  
  
He was early,  
barely having had anything to eat,  
but he didn’t care.  
  
Neil’s eyes were glued to the court,  
his legs bouncing up and down impatiently.  
  
A sudden thought.  
  
[Neil]  
Does Andrew know I’m here?  
  
[Kevin]  
No.  
  
Neil didn’t know if this was a good thing or not.  
  
Someone squeezed past him as the stands were filling up.

[Neil]  
You know he doesn’t like surprises.  
  
[Kevin]  
And doesn’t want to play Exy.  
  
And wants nothing,  
Neil thought.  
  
The stadium lights came on, the stands now packed with people,  
and an announcer started introducing himself.  
  
Neil’s legs alternated between bouncing,  
and his hands were clenching and unclenching quickly,  
impatiently.  
  
The opponent’s line up was rattled off, but Neil wasn't really listening,  
his eyes glued to the spot where he would see Andrew  
in real life.  
  
But.  
But still far away.   
So far away that Neil could probably not make out his face at all.  
  
Not good enough,  
his bouncing legs  
his twitching hands  
and his pounding heart  
told him.

Not good enough.  
  
It took forever, or that’s what it felt like to Neil anyway, for the announcer to list off all the names before he _finally_ moved on to the home team.

And there he was.  
  
Andrew Minyard,  
walking towards his goal,  
as the rest of his team were taking their places.  
  
It was like Neil’d been called,  
or maybe more like he’d been shoved towards the court.

Not good enough,  
Neil thought as he leapt to his feet  
and started running down the stairs  
pushing past people  
to get faster to the walls of the court,  
to the part where he could see Andrew clearer.  
  
Speeding up, Neil pushed himself over the railing,  
jumping,  
and then he was closer to the court  
and he could see the team on the court  
and he could see Andrew  
and it was really, really stupid but still he shouted,

‘Andrew!’

Andrew’s head snapped to the side,  
and Neil couldn’t see his face  
but Andrew knew he was here and that was enou-

Andrew ripped off his mask.  
  
Their eyes met.  
Andrew’s were wide,   
like he couldn’t believe-  
  
Neil smiled, feeling relieved and happy at seeing Andrew.  
He was still far away,  but not as far as before.  
  
Then Andrew started towards him,  
quicker and quicker,  
until it turned into a jog,  
a half run,  
and Neil wondered if he should’ve run  
but the thought to run from Andrew  
never crossed his mind.  
  
Neil blinked,  
and Andrew was in front of him.

 _Finally,  
_ was all Neil thought before Andrew gripped his shirt with a strong grip and spat out, ‘Yes or no?’  
  
As if he could say anything other than ‘ _Yes_.’  
  
Andrew pulled Neil roughly towards him,  
pulled him over the railing,  
and kissed him.

In the stadium.  
In front of his team mates.  
In front of the cameras.

Fuck if Neil cared about that.  
  
He thread his hands through Andrew’s hair and held him close,  
kissing the loneliness   
out of them both.  
  
Andrew groaned.  
He swiped his tongue over Neil's bottom lip, a promise, then pulled away before a referee could break them up.  
  
‘Go have fun,’ Neil said teasingly, nudging Andrew’s shoulder softly.  
  
It was just an excuse to touch him more.

Andrew’s eyes stared into his. ‘You’re here.’  
  
‘Yeah,’ Neil smiled. ‘I’m here.’

Ⓞ

[Nicky]  
!!!!!  
  
[Nicky]  
ANDREW KISSED YOU ON NATIONAL TELEVISION!!!!!

[Nicky]  
DUdE

[Kevin]  
Don’t forget to train.  
  
[Matt]  
Nicky is sending around screenshots of you and Andrew kissing on tv.

[Allison]  
Nice.

[Dan]  
awww good 4u Neil!! that was realy sweet  
  
[Nicky]  
NATIONAL TELEVISION!!!!!1!11!

**Author's Note:**

> First off, thanks for the prompt, it was fun to write this! I'd never explored the modern day long distance trope before and this felt like a good opportunity.
> 
> Also, fun fact about the numbers. Besides the fact that they're a twist on the countdown from the books, I also needed them to force myself to write a shorter story (seeing as that's my nanowrimo challenge this year).  
> I go crazy while writing Andreil, it's almost, ALMOST, a problem.  
> But not quite.
> 
> Thanks for reading!!  
> LOOK AT THIS [LOVELY ART PIECE](https://hi-raethia.tumblr.com/post/178150453884/long-distance-sucks-highkey-inspired-by-idniss) made by hi-raethia <3 Thank you so so much <3


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